Device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support



March 1965 w. PONSEN 3, 74,614

mzvxcs FOR ORIENTING AND FEEDING ARTICLES TO A MOVABLE SUPPORT Filed Aug. 2, 1962 G 3 2 O 1 1.7 O 30 III 28 31 1' i 0 I i 32 Q 12 INVENTOR WILLEM PONSEN AGEN United States Patent 3,174,614 DEVICE FGR ORIENTING AND FEEDING ARTICLES TO A MOVABLE SUPPORT Willem Ponsen, Emrnasingel, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 214,334 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Aug. 28, 1961, 268,696 9 Claims. (Cl. 19833) The present invention relates to a device for delivering caps for electric filament lamps, discharge tubes and the like to a movable support in an orderly fashion.

In the mass production of filament lamps, discharge tubes and the like by means of suitable machines in which, for example, an evacuated filament lamp is to be provided with a cap, the orderly delivery of caps to movable sup ports of each machines is one of the operations which are still performed by hand. One of the operators of the said machines has at his disposal a supply container in which caps are disposed at random. The operator each time takes one cap from the container and puts it in a movable support of the machine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device enabling this operation to be performed automatically in a manner such that each holder of the machine is provided with a cap disposed in an unambiguous position.

The device in accordance with the invention is characterized in that it comprises a cap supply container in which the caps are randomly disposed and means for re moving caps from the said container and arranging them in a row in a first guide, after which the caps which are arranged in the said guide but otherwise are disposed in arbitrary relative positions are conveyed substantially successively to the upper surface of a transport device adapted to move with respect to the guide and containing a number of prepared positions designed so as to permit the caps of the row which have fallen into the prepared positions to assume only one prescribed position, said transport device being capable in at least one of its positions of delivering the caps successively to a second guide, in which a supply of caps arranged in a row and all occupying the desired position may be formed and which is adapted to deliver the caps in succession to the holders of the support.

In the device in accordance with the invention the caps which are randomly disposed in a container are first arranged in a row on a guide. This may be effected by known means such as, -for example, a paddle feeder or a vibrating feeder provided with a helical vibrating path along which the objects may be continuously vibrated upwards. The caps arranged by such feeders in a row on a guide otherwise are randomly disposed. They are only arranged substantially in a row. If they should be direotly delivered by this guide to the support, those caps of the row which are disposed substantially in the desired position would directly fall into the holders but the caps disposed on the guides in different positions on leaving the guide would fall into the holders incorrectly or even beside the holders. In the latter case several holders are not provided with a cap. This is not conducive to the regularity of the production with the aid of such a device. By introducing a transport device between the said first guide and the holders which feeds a second guide the majority of the caps of a row in the first guide disposed in a position difierent from the desired position may either be eifective pre-aligned or removed and returned to the container. However, when the caps have been delivered by the first guide a varying number of the prepared positions of the conveyer remains empty. Consequently, the caps ice are delivered by the transport device to a second guide at irregular intervals. In the said second guide, in which the caps remain in their pre-aligned positions, a supply of caps all disposed in the desired position collects. From this supply of caps each time one cap may be delivered in an orderly fashion to the movable support. It has been found that with the aid of the device in accordance with the invention the lacking of a cap in one of the supports is effectively avoided.

According to an embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention the transport device is capable of intermittent movement and provided with a number of holes evenly divided over a pitch circle, means being provided for limiting the depth of the prepared positions in a number of successive positions of the transport device, while further the part of the second guide receiving the caps is disposed under the said transport device at the position where the said depth-limiting means are lacking.

In a particular embodiment the transport device comprises :an intermittently rotatable table provided with holes under which is arranged a stationary plate designed so as to cover all but one or a few of the said holes.

According to another embodiment of the invention the device is provided with stationary means for blowing an upward gas stream that prepared position of the transport device which is near the orifice of the first guide. This embodiment enables the majority of the caps disposed in an undesired position in the first guide which on leaving the said guide fall onto the transport device to pro-aligned before they reach this transport device. Thus the free fall of the caps is effectively impeded by the upward gas stream. Owing to their shape the caps descending through this gas stream assume a preferred position in which their open end points upwards.

The invention also relates to a few further embodiments specified in the sub-claims.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way Of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device in accordance with the invention for delivering caps for electric filament lamps to a number of holders in an orderly fashion;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line ill-Ill of FIGURE 1.

A conveyer chain 1 of a machine for manufacturing electric filament lamps is provided with a number of supports 3 capable of intermittent movement along a guide path 2 and each adapted to hold a cap 4 for an electric filament lamp.

A cap supply container 6 contains a plurality of randomly disposed caps. In the container a paddle 11 is adapted to reciprocate in guides 13 and 14 according to the double arrow 9. The position of the paddle is inclined. The paddle 11 in its downward movement descends deep into the supply of caps 8. When ascending an edge 12 of the paddle I1 lifts a number of caps from the supply. In the uppermost position of the paddle 11 the lifted caps may roll into a first guide 15 in the form of a vibrating trough. The direction of the movement of the caps is indicated by an arrow 19. On this guide 15 the caps collect in the manner shown in the drawing. In the guide the caps are substantially arranged in a row.

At the end of the first guide 15 a gate 16 is disposed which is adapted to move in a predetermined rhythm with respect to the orifice of the first guide according to a double arrow 17. The arrangement is such that each time substantially one cap .is enabled to leave the orifice of the guide.

An intermittently rotatabletransport device 27 is disposed below the guide 15. This device comprises a table 18 provided with eight holes 19 uniformly spaced on a pitch circle. Below the table 18 is disposed a stationary plate 30. This limits the depth of a number of the apertures 19.

Between the supports 3 and the table 18 is arranged a second guide 31. This stationary guide is also in the form of a vibrating trough and has a U-shaped cross-section. The guide 31 is adapted to receive the caps from the transport device 27 in the manner shown and to convey them according to an arrow 48. Near the orifice of the guide 31 a lock is produced by two gates 32 and 33 mounted on a common support 28 adapted to reciprocate according to a double arrow 29. The reciprocating movement of this support 28 ensures that each time only a single cap may find its way into thelock and is delivered from this lock to a holder 3.

The device operates as follows:

Starting from a stream of caps travelling along the first guide 15 in the manner shown, at a certain instant the gate 16 is removed for a short period of time enabling an object 41 to leave the guide and to travel towards a hole 19 in the table 18, which hole at that instant has been rotated to a position below the orifice of the trough. The free fall of this cap 41, which has its centre of gravity near the bottom, is impeded by a gas stream which is blown up- Wards through the hole 19. This gas stream is produced with the aid of a pipe 43 which is secured to the plate 30 and is connected to a blower system in a non-specified manner. Owing to this upward gas stream the falling cap 41 is enabled to assume a certain preferred position. This preferred position is the position in which the open end of the cap points upwards. It has been found that in this manner the majority of the caps disposed comparatively randomly in the guide 15 falls into the holes 19 in a particular preferred position under the influence of said gas stream. 7 V

A cap which has fallen in a preferred position into the hole 19 located under the orifice of the guide 15 is supported by the plate 30 in the manner shown. By the intermittent rotation of the table 18 the cap, which remains in contact with the plate 30, is conveyed in the direction shown by an arrow 46. When the cap reaches a point above the guide 31, owing to the fact that at this point the plate 30 does not limit the depth of the prepared position it falls in the manner shown onto the guide 31 by which it is conveyed according to'an arrow 48 towards the lock.

Frequently, however, a cap is disposed on the guide 15 in a position such that on leaving the guide it falls on the table 18 beside the hole 19 instead of into this hole. In this case it remains on the upper surface 45 of the table. The caps left on the upper surface 45 of the table 18 are removed with the aid of a stationary resilient scraper 47.

Since a cap leaving the first guide may fail to fall into the holes 19 of the table 18 a number of the holes may remain empty. Consequently, no cap may be delivered to the second guide 31. To ensure that when the lock is opened there is always a cap available in the guide 31 the number of revolutions of the table 18 and the rhythm in Which the gate 16 is removed are chosen so that there is always a supply of caps in the guide 31. To prevent this supply from becoming excessive, near the second guide 31 a precaution is taken in the form of photo-electric means 59 which do not respond toa comparatively rapidly passing cap and become operative only when the supply of this guide 31 is increased to an extent such that a cap remains for a certain period of time in a beam of suitable radiation produced by the means t). -In thiscase the intermittent rotation of the table 18 and the movement of the gate 16 are temporarily stopped in a non-specified manner. They are again allowed to move when the suply of caps on the guide 31 is reduced to a predetermined minimum.

Below the orifice of the second guide 31 is arranged a blow-pipe 52 which blows an upward air stream through the holder which each time is positioned under the said orifice during a stationary period. A cap which leaves the lock of the guide 31 and hence already is in the desired position is influenced by this air stream so as to remain in the said desired position during its fall into the holder 3. Thus a separate mechanism for removing correctly disposed caps from the guide 31 and putting them into the holder 3 may be dispensed with.

In the embodiment described the guides 15 and 31 are arranged in lines with one another (FIGURES 1,) however, it will be appreciated that the guide 31 may occupy another position relative to the table 18.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support comprising a supply container in which said articles are randomly disposed, a first guide for said articles, means for removing said articles from said supply container and arranging the same in said first guide, a rotary transfer means provided with spaced holes therein and positioned adjacent to said first guide whereby said articles are deiivered substantiallyin succession to the upper surface of said rotarytransfer means and individually into said holes, an air orienting means discharging through said holes for orienting said articles in predetermined positions in said holes, a second guide for said articles positioned adjacent to said rotary transfer means and vibrating relative thereto whereby said articles are dropped through said holes in said rotary transfer means to said second guide in their desired positions, and a pocketed carrier arranged adjacent to said second guide whereby said articles are delivered individually and in succession from said second guide to said pocketed carrier.

2. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for holding said articles in substantially all of the holes in said rotary transfer means, said second guide for sm'd articles being located in a plane below the plane of said rotary transfer means at a location where said article holding means is not present whereby the articles at that location fall freely through their respective holes and on said second guide.

. 3. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a mow able support as claimed in claim 2 wherein said holding means is a fixed plate so constructed and arranged to block all but one of said holes.

4. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air orienting means blows air through a hole in said rotary transfer means adjacent to the unloading end of said first guide.

5. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support comprising a supply container in which said articles are randomly disposed, a first guide for said articles, means for removing said articles from said su ply container and arranging the same in said first guide, a rotary transfer means provided with spaced holes therein and positioned adjacent to said first guide whereby said articles are delivered substantially in succession to th upper surface of said rotary transfer means and individually into said holes, an air orienting means discharging through saidholes for orienting said articles in predetermined positions in said holes, a second guide for said articles positioned adjacent to said rotary transfer means and vibrating relative thereto whereby said articles are droppedthrough said holes in said rotary transfer means to said second guide in their-desired positions, a pocketed carrier arranged adjacent to said second guide whereby said articles are delivered individually and in succession from said second guide to'said pocketed carrier, and a stationary scraper adapted to remove articles which rest on said rotary transfer means but not in said holes, said scraper being located above said rotary transfer means.

6. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for stopping the movement of said rotary transfer means and the means for supplying articles from said first guide to said rotary transfer means.

7. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 6 wherein said stopping means is a photo-electric cell.

8. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 1 wherein both said first and second guides are vibrating troughs.

9. A device for orienting and feeding articles to a movable support as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an air supply means arranged adjacent to said pocketed carrier for blowing an air stream through each of said pockets when said article is inserted therein to ensure that said article is in the desired position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Acting Primary Examiner.

EDWARD A. SROKA, WILLIAM B. LA BORDE,

Examiners. 

1. A DEVICE FOR ORIENTING AND FEEDING ARTICLES TO A MOVABLE SUPPORT COMPRISING A SUPPLY CONTAINER IN WHICH SAID ARTICLES ARE RANDOMLY DISPOSED, A FIRST GUIDE FOR SAID ARTICLES MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID ARTICLES FROM SAID SUPPLY CONTAINER AND ARRANGING THE SAME IN SAID FIRST GUIDE, A ROTARY TRANSFER MEANS PROVIDED WITH SPACED HOLES THEREIN AND POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST GUIDE WHEREBY SAID ARTICLES ARE DELIVERED SUBSTANTIALLY IN SUCCESSION TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID ROTARY TRANSFER MEANS AND INDIVIDUALLY INTO SAID HOLES, AN AIR ORIENTING MEANS DISCHARGING THROUGH SAID HOLES FOR ORIENTING SAID ARTICLES IN PREDETERMINED POSITIONS IN SAID HOLES, A SECOND GUIDE FOR SAID ARTICLES POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID ROTARY TRANSFER MEANS AND VIBRATING RELATIVE THERETO WHEREBY SAID ARTICLES ARE DROPPED THROUGH SAID HOLES IN SAID ROTARY TRANSFER MEANS TO SAID SECOND GUIDE IN THEIR DESIRED POSITIONS, AND A POCKETED CARRIER ARRANGED ADJACENT TO SAID SECOND GUIDE WHEREBY SAID ARTICLES ARE DELIVERED INDIVIDUALLY AND IN SUCCESSION FROM SAID SECOND GUIDE TO SAID POCKETED CARRIER. 